Macron's ally Valérie Hayer: “We will do everything we can on the ground to ensure that the next Romanian president is pro-European.” Head of French intelligence visited before the election.
- Wolfgang Lieberknecht
- 24. Mai
- 3 Min. Lesezeit
Aktualisiert: 25. Mai
Der Spiegel: Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticizes French interference in the Romanian election. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov claims that he was asked by the foreign intelligence service to suppress “conservative voices” before the election in Romania. The French categorically reject the accusation.
Der Spiegel: Telegram-Gründer, Pawel Durow, kritisiert französische Einmischung in Rumänien-Wahl. Er sei vom Auslandsgeheimdienst gebeten worden, »konservative Stimmen« vor der Wahl in Rumänien zu unterdrücken, behauptet Telegram-CEO Pawel Durow. Die Franzosen weisen den Vorwurf kategorisch zurück. https://www.internationale-friedensfabrik-wanfried.org/post/macrons-verb%C3%BCndete-val%C3%A9rie-hayer-wir-werden-vor-ort-alles-tun-um-sicherzustellen-dass-der-n%C3%A4chst
Berliner Zeitung: The head of the French secret service, Nicolas Lerner, is said to have visited Romania just two days before the second round of the presidential election. This was reported by Romanian journalist Marius Tuca on Friday. Telegram founder Pavel Durov had previously claimed that Lerner had asked him to censor conservative voices on Telegram and accused the French government of interfering in the Romanian election campaign. The head of the French secret service, Nicolas Lerner, is said to have visited Romania just two days before the second round of the presidential election. This was reported by Romanian journalist Marius Tuca on Friday. Telegram founder Pavel Durov had previously claimed that Lerner had asked him to censor conservative voices on Telegram and accused the French government of interfering in the Romanian election campaign. Lerner had rejected the allegations.
Romania has been in political crisis for months. In last Sunday's elections, pro-European candidate Nicusor Dan prevailed over far-right politician George Simion after his predecessor from the right-wing camp, Călin Georgescu, was disqualified on suspicion of receiving support from Russia.
On Saturday, Durov pointed to journalist Tuca's findings on the online service X and wrote: "‘We will do everything we can on the ground to ensure that the next Romanian president is pro-European,’ Macron's closest ally and key party member Valérie Hayer told France Info on May 10, 2025. What was the head of the French secret service doing in Romania a few days after this promise?"
Spiegel Pavel Durov: Telegram founder criticizes French interference in Romanian elections
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov claims he was asked by foreign intelligence services to suppress “conservative voices” ahead of the elections in Romania. The French categorically reject the accusation.
Romania's election chaos enters the next round: What do Durov, Simion and Co. want?
George Simion refuses to accept defeat, and Telegram boss Durov is now also getting involved in Romanian politics. Is the EU and NATO country facing a constitutional crisis?
The defeated right-wing presidential candidate George Simion has filed a lawsuit against the election results with the Romanian Constitutional Court (CCR). Simion accuses France and Romania's neighbor Moldova of interfering in the recent election. Surprisingly, he has received support from billionaire and Telegram founder Pavel Durov.
Simion, who lost Sunday's runoff election to pro-European Nicușor Dan with 46.4 percent of the vote, speaks of “manipulation” and is demanding that the election be annulled. His goal is to undermine the legitimacy of the election and thus of the future government. In doing so, he is positioning himself as the leader of a “betrayed” opposition, as Simion announced in the aftermath of the first election results on Sunday evening.
Romania election: What role do France and Moldova play?
This narrative is mobilizing his base outside the Bucharest bubble. In a Facebook video, he claimed that “state and non-state actors” – including the governments in Paris and Chisinau – had sabotaged the Romanian election campaign. Nationalist Simion supporters, who are pushing for a Greater Romania, i.e., the annexation of Moldova, are particularly upset that Chisinau interfered in the Romanian election campaign. However, Simion has yet to provide any concrete evidence of this.
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